The Jersey Devil
by ChristyK
Summary: Dean and Sam join a group heading into the Pine Barrens in search of The Jersey Devil
1. Chapter 1

I've had this story for about a year but didn't post it because I didn't really like it. Now I see that Supernatural is doing a Jersey Devil story so I figured I'd go ahead and post it. I know my chapters are short and I'm sorry but that's the way I like to write. Not sure if anyone will like this but here goes…..

The Jersey Devil

Mike Ritter opened the door to his small New Jersey home and stepped outside. He looked across the street to where the Pine Barrens began and allowed himself a small smile. Today was the day that the legend of the Pine Barrens was finally going to pay off for him and make him some money. He had heard the legend of the Jersey Devil all his life, he remembered hearing it when he was just a young boy from his mother.

_There was a woman back in 1735 whose last name was Leeds and she lived in an area known as Leeds Point, his mother had told him. This woman had twelve children and was now pregnant with her thirteenth child. Mrs. Leeds didn't want another child and cursed the birth of her thirteenth child and said that if it was born it would be a devil. Sure enough the baby was born deformed and hideous looking. The child purportedly sprouted wings and flew up the chimney and disappeared into the night never to be seen by its mother again, but somehow the creature lived and grew strong. People throughout the years had reported seeing it and most said it stood about 4 to 5 feet tall and had large bat like wings and the head of a horse, plus flashing red eyes. It had a piercing scream and was known to feed on livestock or any other animal it could capture, including humans. Occasionally people who wandered into the Pine Barrens were never seen again and the Jersey Devil was blamed for their disappearance. Reputable people had seen it including a police officer who fired at it and swore that he had hit it but it flew back into the Pine Barrens and was later seen apparently unhurt feeding on a deer._

Throughout his life he had heard of people who went into the Barrens searching for the creature only to run out scared half to death when they heard a screeching cry and flapping wings in the thick bushes or tree tops. Living near the Pine Barrens had never paid off for him, but this time it would. He was going to lead a group of people deep into the Barrens for a price and for a good scare. He and a few of his friends had already rigged up different areas of the Barrens with special effects sure to scare his group and give them their money's worth. He himself didn't believe in the legend but he knew there were people who did, and they would pay good money to see the Barrens for themselves, and hopefully see the Jersey Devil.

**A few hours later**

Dean and Sam had heard about the upcoming trip into the Pine Barrens and decided to check it out. They knew of a hunter who actually thought he had seen the creature years ago and there was even a drawing of what the man saw in their dad's journal. The brothers decided to sign up for the trip and to try to stay close to the group and hopefully protect them if anything happened. Not sure what would actually kill the creature they packed a variety of weapons, silver bullets, flamethrower, and razor sharp knives.

Dean looked over at his sleeping brother as he drove and smiled to himself.

"Sam!" He shouted in his brother's ear causing him to jump up and reach for his weapon.

"What?" Sam looked around for the reason for his brother's cry.

"We're here." Dean tried to hide his smile from Sam. He loved scaring his brother needlessly. He knew he should have outgrown it years ago but it was something he had always enjoyed and probably always would. After all they had been through together a little laugh once in awhile broke the tension of what they did for a living.

"Damn it Dean I thought something had happened!" Sam said as he punched Dean on his arm.

Dean gave a little laugh as he rubbed his arm.

"Scared ya didn't I?"

Sam looked out the side window ignoring Dean's question.

"So this is it?" Sam looked out the side window and into the deep forest that ran along both sides of the road.

"Yep. The New Jersey Pine Barrens." Dean said as he pointed at a sign that stated the same.

"You really think there is a Jersey Devil?" Sam asked.

"Guess we'll find out." Dean told his brother as he pulled into a small parking lot across the street from a sign which read _Jersey Devil Trip ….Register inside_ and in small letters below _Take a trip into the dark_ _Pine Barrens to discover for yourself whether the Devil really exists. Six days out and six days back 450.00, food and_ _camping equipment provided_.

"If this thing is real these campers aren't going to know what they might be in for." Sam said as he and Dean climbed out of the car and grabbed their backpacks then headed toward the small cabin that served as a check in point.

"More than likely this will just end up being just a nice little trip into the Pine Barrens and nothing more. Everyone can then go home with stories to tell their grandkids."

"You really think so?"

"I hope so. …. If this creature does exist it seems like it doesn't want to be found, and let's just hope it stays that way."

"Yeah let's hope so." Sam said as he watched other cars pull up and their occupants empty out and also head toward the cabin. He winced slightly when he saw that one of the couples had brought along two children who looked to be about nine and twelve. "Why would someone drag their kids along on a trip like this? It should have been for adults only, they at least have a choice whether they wanted to come or not."

"Guess they think this is all a big joke and all it's going to be is a nice little camping trip. Guess they figure why not bring the kiddies."

"Let's just hope the joke isn't on them."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, hope you like the story.

The Jersey Devil

Chapter two

The brothers followed the small group of people into an old trailer which was parked near a trail leading into the woods. Inside a man about thirty years old sat at a desk with a registration book in front of him. He welcomed the group as they entered and then had them line up to sign a release form.

"What's this for?" Jerry one of the men asked as he started to read the paper in front of him.

"It's just a release form stating that if anything happens in the Barrens that I'm not responsible." When Jerry looked up at him Mike added. "Just standard procedure, nothing to worry about."

Jenn looked nervously at her husband Walt.

"What could happen?" She asked. She hadn't been too keen on coming in the first place and now she was getting nervous. Walt had insisted on taking the trip but she wished he would have let her keep their kids at home. It was bad enough that they were walking into the Barrens not knowing what was out there, but bringing the kids she still thought was a bad idea.

"It doesn't mean anything. It's only in case someone sprains their ankle or trips over a rock and cuts themselves, they just don't want to be held responsible…..Just go ahead and sign it."

While Jenn signed her name and her kids name to the release form Sam walked over to Walt.

"I don't want to sound like I'm trying to interfere but don't you think you should have left the kids at home?"

"Why?" Walt spun around to face Sam. It was obvious he thought it was none of his business. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you don't know what's really out there."

"Don't tell me you think this crap is real?"

"All I know is that there are a lot more things out there then you'll ever know about and I think it would be best if you took the kids home, or better yet stay home yourself….It's better to be safe then sorry."

"Listen buddy, we're out here for a little fun, that's all, and I don't need you scaring my wife and kids. You need to stay away from me and my family, and then hopefully we can all enjoy the trip. Understood?" He gave Sam a little shove to make sure he got his point across.

Dean seeing the man shove his brother walked over.

"Well that went well." Sam told Dean as Walt turned and walked away.

"What did you say to him?"

"Just that he should take his kids home."

"I take it he isn't going to listen to you."

"Oh he listened, but he doesn't believe in the Jersey Devil, he thinks this is all a joke."

"Let's just hope he's right. Let's just hope this thing is just a legend and it doesn't make an appearance."

Once Ritter had everyone sign the release form he began handing out sleeping bags, food, and water rations for the trip.

"First off, there are over one million acres in the Pine Barrens and we will be traveling deep into them. We will walk most of the day then look for the Jersey Devil at night. Because of the long walk everyone will be expected to carry their own equipment on the trip. We'll be traveling light so just make sure you go easy on your food, you don't want to run out of it on the first day out there. I have several camp sites already set up in the Barrens so at least we won't have to waste time setting up the tents each night. … We all know why we're here, to see the Jersey Devil. Now I can't promise you you'll actually see the creature, but that's where the fun comes in. This thing is elusive and rarely seen, but it has been seen, and by numerous people over the years. I want everyone to keep their wits about them out there and if they do spot something not to chase it but to remain with the group. Remember there is safety in numbers and I don't want anyone running off by themselves and getting lost. The Barrens are big and go on for miles and it's very easy to get turned around out there because everything looks the same. Every few years people head into the Barrens and are never seen again. I'm not trying to scare any of you; I'm just stating a fact…." He looked around at the group. "Once we leave here we won't be turning back for anyone so make sure you really want to travel into the Barrens, if you want to back out…." Ritter pointed toward the door. " …there's the door."

Sam glanced over at Walt hoping he would change his mind and take his children home but instead he gave Sam a cocky smile then turned away. Sam shook his head sadly, he knew the man had no idea what he could be leading his children into.

"So if everyone is ready, let's get this show on the road." Ritter said as he headed toward the door.

**Six hours later**

The group was exhausted by the time they stopped for the night and were glad to see the campsite was already set up, just like Ritter had said it would be. They had spent the last six hours walking through the marshy swamp like area and were glad to finally be able to rest.

"Everyone choose a tent and set up your gear, then after we have a little to eat we'll explore the area." Ritter told the group.

After a quick meal Ritter gathered everyone together.

"I want everyone to take the flashlight out of the pack I gave you and I need you all to stay in a group and follow me."

Ritter then proceeded to lead the group into the darkening Pine Barrens. As the sun began to set the eerie cries from some kind of animal filled the night and soon seemed to surround them. The two women in the group became visibly upset as one clung to her children and the other to her boyfriend.

"It's probably just a crane." Walt said trying to convince them and himself that it was only a bird making the noise.

"I know cranes, and I've never heard one make that kind of noise." Jerry said as he and his friend Rob turned in a circle shining their lights into the dark swamp.

When the sounds of flapping wings were heard high above them the group turned as one and started running back to the campsite clearly terrified. Sam and Dean held their ground as the light from their flashlights lit up the top of the trees in the area. Seeing nothing, they looked over at Ritter and saw a pleased smile on his face as he followed the others back to camp.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews. I started this story a long, long time ago but family medical issues reared its ugly head and I was in no mood to continue it. Even though the issues are still ongoing I decided to try and get this story back on track. Hope you like it.

The Jersey Devil

Chapter three

Once they were back at camp the brothers made sure everyone was okay then crawled into their tent for the night.

"You saw that didn't you, that smirk on Ritter's face?" Dean asked his brother as he fluffed up his sleeping bag..

"Yeah I saw it."

"I'll bet you twenty bucks he has someone hiding out here making those noises, trying to scare these people."

"I hope so…. at least then everybody gets a good scare and their money's worth and no one gets hurt."

"Wouldn't you at least like to see if there really is a Jersey Devil?"

"Sure I'd like to see if it's real or not, but we got people out here, people who have no idea how to deal with something like that…..People who could get themselves killed."

"Yeah I guess you're right. … I say we let these people get the scare they came for, then, after they go home, we come back here and see if we can find the real thing."

"Why waste time on something that might not even be real? We got more important things to do then chase after a legend."

"I thought it might be fun…you know just you and me." Dean said looking over at Sam. "You know we don't have to spend our entire life saving people, we are allowed a little fun once in awhile."

"I don't even know what fun is anymore." Sam looked down sadly then quickly looked away not wanting his brother to see the tears that glistened in his eyes. He and his brother had been through so much together that he couldn't even remember the last time he had fun, maybe with Jessica, but that was years ago.

"Fun is hunting something that might or might not be real, like in the old days when we were kids."

"Why must fun be hunting something? Why can't we just go out and have a good time without always having to be hunting something?"

"Because that's what we do."

"Why? … Because Dad brainwashed us into thinking hunting was all there was?"

"He was right, hunting is all there is. What else would we be doing if we weren't hunting?"

"Going to law school maybe."

Dean swallowed hard. He knew he was the reason Sam wasn't still in law school. Maybe he should never have pulled him back into the family business. Maybe he should have just let Sam live the life he wanted to live.

"I guess I screwed that up for you pretty good didn't I?"

Sam looked at Dean and gave him a small sad smile.

"No you didn't screw it up Dean. Jess's dying did that, and that wasn't your fault. It's not your fault that I'm hunting again; it's something I had to do."

"To get revenge for your girlfriend?"

"And other reasons." Sam had missed his brother while he was at school and seeing Dean again made him realize how much. When Sam glanced at Dean, Dean turned away embarrassed, he knew he was the other reason. He loved his brother more than anything but he was never one for touchy, feely emotions. He was glad when voices outside their tent drew their attention to something else. They immediately threw back the flap and went outside.

"What the hell was that?" Cory, one of the men asked.

"It sounded big." Sue his girlfriend added as she kept a tight grip on her boyfriend's arm.

"It could have been anything… Or it could have been the Devil." Ritter said in a hushed tone just adding to the creepiness of the situation.

"It's real? The Devil's real?" Billy one of Walt's kids asked.

"We're pretty sure there is something out here, what it is we really don't know." Ritter told Billy.

Billy then turned to his brother Jason.

"See I told you it was real ….and it's going to get you and rip you to shreds." Billy told Jason trying to scare him. "It's going to sneak into your tent tonight and…"

"Billy!" Billy's mom stopped him from continuing.

"Mom…" Jason swallowed hard as he started to back up toward his tent, right now he wanted to be any place but here.

Jenn quickly stepped forward and put her arms around her youngest son.

"Billy you stop it right now." She warned her older boy as she kissed the top of Jason's head. "He's just trying to scare you." She told her youngest. "Nothing's going to happen to you." She then looked over at her husband. "I told you something like this was going to happen. You know how scared Jason gets."

"The boy has to man up. I'm not going to have the people I work with call him a pussy."

"For God's sake Walt he's just a kid." She said as she leaned down and wiped Jason's eyes. She then looked at Billy. "And you should be ashamed of yourself scaring him like that. He's your little brother; you should be trying to protect him." She looked back at Walt. "Maybe we should take him home."

Ritter quickly stepped forward.

"Sorry ma'am but I already told you there's no going back. I can't send you back by yourself due to insurance reasons and I can't expect the rest of the group to spend tomorrow walking you back either, it isn't fair to them….You read the rules and you signed the release form…..You're with us for the long haul."

Before Jenn could say anything the sound of leaves rustling high in the trees drew everyone's attention away from the conversation and towards the woods.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews.

The Jersey Devil

Chapter four

"What the hell was that?" Jerry asked as he and the rest of the group stood staring out into the dark woods.

"Probably just some raccoons or squirrels chasing each other." Rob his friend stated hoping that was the truth.

"Whatever it was it sounded huge." Sue said as she clung to her boyfriend Cory.

Ritter tried to hide his smile. This was working out just the way he had hoped. His partners in the woods were really starting to scare the people just like they had planned to and he hoped they would manage to stay out of sight for the duration of the trip.

Jenn grabbed her two children and pulled them quickly into the tent, she then zipped it shut not waiting for her husband to join them.

Walt shook his head and smiled. He knew the whole thing was a fake and couldn't believe his wife Jenn was falling for it. What did he expect he thought, she always was a little slow. He often wondered why he had even married her, he could have done better. Sure she gave him two sons, but anyone could have done that. If only he had held off marrying her he might have stood a chance with that cute little secretary the boss had just hired. But she would have nothing to do with him since he was married, she more or less came right out and told him so. Now he was stuck with Jenn and the kids. Well at least he could sit back and enjoy her torment. She was always scared of things that went bump in the night and had pleaded with him not to take her or the boys on the trip. He looked toward his tent. Hopefully maybe she'd have a heart attack and he would finally be free of her. He could always send the kids off to live with her mother. Maybe then he'd stand a chance with the secretary.

Sam nudged Dean and nodded toward Walt who was looking at his tent with an obvious look of disgust on his face.

"The guy's a jerk." Sam said. "His wife and kids are scared to death and he doesn't even try to comfort them."

"Stay out of it Sam." Dean warned his brother, he knew Sam's first instinct would be to try to comfort the wife and kids which he knew wouldn't go over well with the woman's husband. "We're here to try to protect these people, not be marriage counselors."

"I know." Sam looked toward the sounds coming out of the woods. "Do you think there really is something out there?"

Dean looked over at Ritter who was still trying to hide the smile from his face.

"Well Ritter seems pleased as punch so I'm thinking he has the woods rigged."

"Yeah that's what I'm thinking, but that doesn't mean something really isn't out there."

"We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open and hope if something really is out there that we don't run into it."

**Late that night**

Dean and Sam watched as Ritter slipped out of his tent and headed into the woods. They waited till he wouldn't see them then followed him. Ritter walked away from the camp then took out his flashlight and flashed it twice. Within a few seconds a light off in the distance flashed twice in return. A few seconds later two men walked out of the woods and over to Ritter. The brothers watched as the men congratulated each other on a job well done then began laughing as they talked about the reaction to the noises they had made. It was obvious the two men were working with Ritter.

Dean looked over at Sam.

"Looks like we might walk away from this one without getting bloody." He said hopefully as he watched the three men.

"Maybe." Sam hoped that was true but he wasn't so sure.

**The next morning**

No one had gotten much sleep that night. Throughout the entire night the sounds of strange cries and the rustling of branches kept most of the group awake. The campers crawled out of their tents tired and miserable and were greeted by a light rain which didn't help their mood.

Ritter quickly cooked up a breakfast of scrambled eggs which were quickly eaten before the rain made them soggy.

"Okay I need everyone to pack up their gear." Ritter said as he threw water on the campfire. "We're moving out in twenty minutes."

Jenn looked over at her husband.

"Walt can't you just take us back? The kids and I don't want to go any further…It's raining, it's miserable, and….""

"You heard Ritter, we signed an agreement." Walt said trying to dismiss his wife's concerns.

"To hell with the agreement! … The kids don't want to go on, and I don't either." As soon as she raised her voice to him she knew she was in trouble.

Walt grabbed her by her arm and pulled her away from the others.

"Quit making a scene in front of everyone." He told her angrily as he squeezed her arm tight. "This is all just a joke, there's nothing out there. This is all in fun and of course you and your brats have to go and try and ruin it for me. We're staying and that's the end of the discussion."

Jenn blinked back tears as she looked up into her husband's face. She knew for a long time that he didn't give a damn about her anymore and it hurt. She had always tried to be the perfect wife to him but she knew she couldn't live up to his expectations. She wasn't pretty enough, didn't clean the house well enough, there was a number of reasons. She could tell just by looking at him that she was a big disappointment to him. But despite how he treated her she stuck with him, and she knew she would till the bitter end. Even when he'd accuse her of cheating on him she stuck by him even though he was the one who was cheating…..Where else would she go with two kids and a bunch of pets? She was in this loveless marriage for better or for worse just like the vows she took, even through the physical and mental abuse she knew she would never leave him. She looked around at the rest of the group and could see everyone looking at them. She glanced over at the brothers and could see the sympathy mixed with anger on their faces. She forced a smile on her face like she always did and acted like everything was okay. Even through all the pain he caused her she still protected him from other people's view of him.

"Okay kids let's get moving." She told her two children as she turned away from her husband trying hard to act like everything was fine when in fact she was dying a little bit each day.

"That son of a bitch….." Sam whispered softly to Dean. He could tell just by looking at her that Jenn was a good woman and he hated to see any man mistreat a woman. He took a few steps toward Walt but Dean grabbed his arm.

"Let it alone Sam."

Walt heard the interchange of words and looked over at Sam.

"You got a problem?"

Sam was just about to tell Walt what he thought of him but stopped when he felt Dean add a little pressure to his grasp on his arm.

"No, no problem." Sam pulled away from Dean and walked away.

"Your brother seems to like to stick his nose where it doesn't belong." Walt told Dean as he watched Sam walk away.

"That's because he knows a jerk when he sees one." Dean turned and followed his brother. He could feel Walt's eyes burning a hole in his back as he walked away but he ignored it. They were here to try and protect these people, not get in the middle of a family argument.

"We're burning daylight….Let's get moving people." Ritter's orders caused the group to turn away from the scene and start packing.

"You okay?" Dean asked Sam as he walked over to him.

"Yeah….but next time that bastard grabs his wife like that I'm not going to sit back and do nothing."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews.

The Jersey Devil

Chapter five

The group moved out with Sam keeping his eyes on Walt. He couldn't stand to see anyone abuse a woman either mentally or physically and right now it looked like Walt did both. He knew he had to keep his mind on the hunt, that was what was most important, but he couldn't help but let his mind wander and for some reason he kept thinking about Jess. He loved her more than anything and he would have killed anyone who would have hurt her. Seeing Walt treat his wife like she didn't even matter to him made him sick. Ignoring a ' _don't get involved_ ' look from Dean he picked up his pace and soon was next to Jenn. Walt was walking at the front of the pack with Ritter and hadn't looked back at his wife for the last hour so Sam thought it would be the perfect time to find out if she was alright.

"You okay?" Sam asked Jenn once he was walking next to her.

"I'm fine." She said shyly as she nervously kept her eyes on Walt. She knew her husband had a mean jealous streak in him and if he saw her talking to Sam he'd throw a fit either now or later which she knew would turn out bad for either her or Sam or both of them.

Sam could tell his presence was making her nervous and he understood why. He had seen enough abused girls when he was in college and recognized the fear on her face.

"I couldn't help but hear your conversation with your husband and I know you don't want to be out here…. Just try not to worry, my brother and I will keep an eye on your kids, we won't let anything happen to them." He hoped he could keep that promise, if the Jersey Devil really did show up there was no way of knowing what could happen.

She finally looked up into his handsome young face and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you so much, I'd appreciate that."

A sharp pain shot through Sam's heart. Jenn had the same smile and eyes as Jessica. He could feel tears starting to well up in his eyes and he quickly cleared his throat and looked away.

Dean kept glancing back at his brother trying not to be too obvious. He knew Walt was a dick and that even just talking to his wife wasn't a healthy thing to do. Right now Walt was walking up ahead of the group totally ignoring his wife and kids but sooner or later he would probably look back at them and he wasn't going to be too happy to see his wife talking to Sam. Dean knew his brother and Walt had gotten off to a bad start from the beginning when Sam had questioned him about taking the kids on the trip and it would be just like the jerk to try and start something with his brother. They had run into men like Walt all their lives, men who treated their wives like their property, never bothering with them but getting extremely jealous if anyone else did. He wished Sam would hurry up and catch back up to him.

The sound of a piercing scream behind them caused the entire group to turn around. Dean looked over at Walt and could see the anger flashing in his eyes when he saw his wife standing next to Sam.

"What the hell was that?" Jerry asked.

"I don't know but it sounds like it's following us." Rob, his buddy replied.

Jason quickly grabbed his mother's hand.

"Mom I'm scared."

"Don't be scared, it isn't real, it's all just make believe." Jenn said trying her best to comfort him, in truth she had no idea what was going on.

Billy, Jenn's older son, walked over and stood next to their mom trying not to show how scared he also was.

"It'll be okay buddy." Sam reached out and put his hand on the older boy's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Billy looked up into Sam's face.

"Is it fake? Is it really fake?"

"I honestly don't know." Sam saw no reason to lie to the boy. "But don't worry, my brother and I will look out for you."

An angry Walt suddenly stormed over and stood next to Sam.

"If anyone is going to look out for my boys it will be me!" He shouted as he knocked Sam's hand off of his son's shoulder.

"He's scared, I was just trying to…." Sam started to speak but was cut off by Walt.

"I know what you're trying to do!...Just stay away from my family! I'm not going to tell you again!"

"Look buddy I was just trying to….." Sam was just about ready to tell Walt off but stopped when Dean grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

"Whatcha do that for?" Sam asked as he pulled his arm out of his brother's grasp.

"If this creature is real, the last thing we need to do is to be fighting amongst ourselves."

"Well that guy's a jerk! He has a sweet, beautiful wife and nice kids and…."

"And she's not your concern." Dean finished Sam's sentence.

"You tell me you're just going to stand there and let that jerk mistreat his wife?"

"I don't like it anymore then you do Sam , but our job here is to try and protect these people, not try to add more strain to an already bad marriage."

Sam glanced over at Jenn who stood looking at the ground listening to her husband berate her.

Every instinct in him told him to beat the crap out of the guy for mentally abusing his wife but he knew Dean was right, if there really was something out there, fighting amongst themselves wasn't going to solve anything.

When another painful scream ripped through the woods Dean turned and looked over at Ritter, this time he wasn't smiling, this time he looked as scared as the rest of the party and the fear on his face was something you couldn't fake. Dean looked back at Sam; he also had seen the look on Ritter's face. They looked at each other each knowing what the other was thinking…..that there really was something out in the woods and it wasn't human.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews.

The Jersey Devil

Chapter six

**Later that evening**

Once they arrived at their second campsite for the night they quickly unloaded their gear then after a quick dinner they stood around the campfire waiting for their nocturnal walk into the thick woods. No one was that anxious to enter the woods at night after hearing the screams from earlier in the afternoon, even Ritter seemed worried. He knew he didn't have a choice though…..the group had paid him to lead them into the woods and to take them out on excursions each night to look for the creature. If he refused he'd have to pay them back the money they gave him, and he needed the money to pay his rent, he was already a week late. He really had no choice but to lead them into the dark Pine Barrens and hope and pray nothing really was out there. He too had heard the screams and he knew that wasn't what he and his partners had planned. They had planned to rattle some bushes and shake some branches high in the trees just to give the campers a little scare, but screaming wasn't part of the deal. He hoped his buddies had just changed the plans a little without telling him and that there really wasn't something lurking right outside their campsite. He looked at the campers who were waiting for him to make a move and wished he hadn't told them that they were only allowed to take flashlights and cameras with them, right now what he wanted was a gun … just in case.

"Okay, everybody ready?" He tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice. "Let's go." His throat had tightened up and he could barely get the words out.

Ritter could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he led the group out of the campsite and deep into the dark woods. Right now all he wanted to do was to be safe and sound in his apartment even without the rent money. He never believed in the Jersey Devil even after all the eye witnesses' reports, he figured it was all a bunch of hogwash, but now he wasn't so certain. Even the moon had hidden itself tonight behind a thick blanket of clouds as if it was scared to show its face to whatever might be lurking out in the Barrens. He took a deep breath trying to calm himself. The scream could have came from anything, there were all types of strange creatures that lived in the marsh and more than likely it had come from one of them. He even knew of people who had claimed to have seen a mountain lion hiding in the deep wooded area. Or maybe it was the call of some kind of large bird; after all there were plenty of heron in the area. Maybe a mountain lion or one of the numerous coyotes that lived there had snatched one and that was what had made the scream. That's probably what it was he thought trying to convince himself, but deep inside the fear still lingered.

"What do you think?" Dean asked Sam as they walked out of the camp staying at the back of the pack so they could keep an eye on everyone.

"That scream sounded human to me."

"Yeah me too…Did you see the look on Ritter's face? He really looked scared; I don't think he was expecting it."

"I don't think so either. That scream sounded way too painful for someone to fake."

"I think tonight we better convince Ritter to turn back. If that thing really is out here it could start picking us off one by one."

They continued walking for about half an hour when another painful scream tore through the night sending a chill up everyone's spine.

"That sounds awful close." Sue said as she pulled her boyfriend closer to her.

"It sounded like its right on top of us." Cory held onto his girlfriend as he tried to shine his flashlight to the tops of the heavy branched trees.

"There's something up there!" Walt shouted when a dark form appeared high in the tree tops.

"Mommy I'm scared!" Jason cried as he clung to his mother who tried her best to comfort him.

"It's going to be okay Jason." Billy also tried to comfort his younger brother.

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat, the scene reminded him of he and Dean when they were younger. Dean pulled all kinds of pranks on him but yet he was always there when Sam needed him. Both he and Dean instinctively moved toward the mother and her children then stood protectively next to them. Whatever it was it would have to get past them to get to the family.

"It's coming down! It's getting closer!" Cory shouted as he kept his light on the now moving blackness that slowly seemed to be moving down the tree toward them.

Suddenly the entire group was sprayed with warm, sticky blood. This time they all stood in silent fear and shock each too afraid to move, except for the brothers, who seeing what was happening yelled for everyone to move back right before a severed leg came tumbling down from the tree.

"Oh my God!" More than one person screamed as everyone stared wide eyed at the bloody appendage.

Within a few seconds other body parts began falling from the trees, a head, arms, and internal organs all rained down on the terrified group.

Everyone began to panic and started to run off in different directions as the sheer horror of the scene became too much for them.

"Everyone stay together!" Dean shouted a warning to them as he and his brother pulled out their guns and stood below the tree waiting for whatever it was to descend.

TBC


	7. The Jersey Devil Chapter seven

Thanks for the reviews.

The Jersey Devil

Chapter seven

Dean and Sam listened as whatever was in the tree climbed lower and lower but still managed to stay out of sight.

"Where the hell is it? Do you see it?" Sam asked as both he and his brother kept their weapons trained on the tree.

"I can't see anything."

It started to rain heavily and both brothers shield their eyes with their hand as they kept watch. They both winced in pain when another ear piercing scream filled the air. The thing in the tree grew closer and closer and finally they could make out a dark form still hiding high in the branches.

"I see it!" Sam shouted.

"So do I!"

The brothers kept their weapons on the form but neither took a shot fearing that the creature may be holding another victim in its grasp.

"Can you see if it's holding anything?" Dean asked as kept his eyes and gun on the form.

Sam took a step forward to get a better look but immediately regretted it when the rain suddenly turned red as more of the victim's blood poured down on him from above. He instinctively took a step backward.

Dean saw what had happened and kept his gun trained on the tree as he glanced over at his brother.

"You okay Sam?"

"Yeah." Sam said as he wiped the blood from his face with one hand while holding his gun with the other. "I just hope whoever's blood that was didn't have any kind of disease because I just swallowed some of it." He tried to spit the remaining blood out of his mouth.

Dean tried to keep the worried look off his face, he knew his brother had been addicted to demon blood at one time and hoped the taste of blood wouldn't trigger another craving for it.

A few more pieces of flesh fell from the tree then suddenly there was a sound of flapping wings then complete silence.

"Damn it!…..I think it's gone." Dean said angry that they hadn't been able to get a shot off. "Let's head back to camp."

They were lucky; they hadn't traveled very far and were soon back at the campsite. They didn't even have time to take in the disheveled campsite before a pissed off Walt came storming over to them.

"Who the hell are you guys?" He asked when he saw the guns in their hands. "And why do you have guns?"

"That's not important right now." Dean said. "What is important is that we stick together and start heading back as soon as possible."

"We can't." Ritter said as he motioned toward their tents. "Someone or something stole or smashed all our equipment while we were out there. Without our compasses… we're lost."

"You're telling me you don't know the way back?" Dean asked while Sam ran to their shredded tent to check on their own equipment, he returned shaking his head.

"Our packs are gone."

"Oh that's just great!" Dean threw up his hands in frustration, everything they had was in their packs except their guns, they now were as lost as Ritter. The Barrens were huge and everything looked the same, it wasn't going to be easy to find their way back. They had been following trails that had been made by animals, but there were many intersecting trails and it was impossible to tell which one they had used. "You have no idea how to get out of here?" Dean once more asked Ritter, hoping he had misunderstood him.

"I followed my compass. All I know is that I followed the compass north for four hours, then west for the next two hours on the first day, then continued heading west after that. I had the trails marked but without my compass and my notes we're lost."

"You mean we can't get out of here?" Jason asked as he and his brother held onto their mother.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way home." Sam said as he walked over to them, but he knew it would be next to impossible to find the right trail and now with the storm moving in they wouldn't even be able to navigate by the sun or stars. "Everything's going to be okay." Sam gave Jenn a small comforting smile. He knew he and his brother would do everything in their power to protect the women and children, but he also knew they were fighting an unknown creature and they had no idea how to destroy it, or even if they could.

"Thanks." Jenn smiled back at Sam trying to put on a brave front, she knew he was trying to keep her and her kids calm by reassuring them.

Walt glared at Sam as he stormed over.

"You just can't stay away from her can you?" He said as he grabbed his wife and started pulling her away.

"Walt you're hurting me." Jenn tried to pull away but Walt only dug his fingers in deeper.

"I can see you like him you bitch!" Walt turned around and faced his wife. "Why don't you just rip off your clothes and screw him right here you whore."

"'Walt please…." Jenn tried to get him to quiet down, she didn't want her kids to get anymore upset then they already were."

Instead of backing off Walt pushed his wife toward Sam causing her to fall. After making sure she was okay Sam walked toward Walt ignoring Dean's attempt to hold him back.

"Sammy leave it alone." Dean tried to warn his brother off, he wasn't worried about Sam, he knew that even though Walt was a lot heavier and taller than Sam, his brother was an excellent fighter and Walt didn't stand a chance.

"You think you're a big guy picking on a woman, well then why don't you try picking on someone more your own size."

"Why don't you listen to your brother and back off punk." Walt said as he glared at Sam.

"As long as you apologize to your wife I will."

"Fuck you!" Walt once more grabbed his wife by her arm causing her to cry out as his fingers dug into her flesh.

It was all Sam needed to set him off. He grabbed Walt and spun him around to face him, then after letting Walt take the first swing Sam leveled him with a solid punch to his face. Walt went down hard then sat on the ground rubbing his chin. He had felt the power behind Sam's punch and knew he was no match for him.

"Damn it Sammy back off!" Dean was as angry as his brother was at Walt's treatment of his wife but he had managed to keep his temper under control unlike his brother who was just itching for a fight with the man.

Sam stood over Walt his fists clenched in anger waiting for him to get up.

"Sammy come on, he's not worth it." Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder and gently turned him away. Sam hesitated for a second then walked over to Jenn.

"I'm sorry." It was all he could say, he was sorry her husband was a jerk, but mostly he was sorry if his actions would cause her more pain from her husband further down the road.

Jenn gave him a small smile and mouthed the words 'Thank you'. She knew she'd end of paying for Sam's action later but still it made her feel warm and good that someone had finally stood up to her abusive husband, a man who was known to intimidate most people.

Walt finally managed to stand up but when he saw that everyone was looking at him his anger and embarrassment grew. He started to walk away, but then before anyone could stop him he pulled a small pen knife out of his pocket, he ran over to Sam who had his back turned toward him, and plunged it deep into Sam's back.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews.

The Jersey Devil

Chapter eight

Sam was knocked to his knees by the blow to his back and felt a sharp pain right below his left shoulder blade.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean grabbed Walt and threw him away from Sam, he would deal with him later, right now his brother was his main concern.

"Sammy?" Dean knelt beside his brother and put his hand up to his back. When he pulled his hand away he could see that it was red with his brother's blood. He immediately had a flashback to when Sam had been stabbed to death by Jake. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second trying to block the memory….it couldn't be happening again he thought….not again….

"I'm okay." Sam said trying to reassure his brother. He actually didn't even know he had been stabbed…..All he thought was that Walt had punched him in the back and knocked him down and maybe had cracked a rib with his fist, he had no idea he had been stabbed.

Dean looked over at Walt who stood with the bloody blade out in front of him. At least the blade itself appeared to be fairly small which was a good thing, but the bad thing was it was rusty and dirty and even a scratch from it could result in a bad infection. It was then Dean remembered all their supplies were gone which meant the first aid kit that he always took with them on a hunt was gone as well.

Dean looked over at the group of campers.

"Look around, see if you can find anything to clean this up with." He told the others; even just a canteen of water would help wash out the wound.

"What's the matter?" Sam asked trying to look over his shoulder at his back. He could feel a stinging pain in his back but he didn't think it was anything serious.

"That bastard stabbed you." Dean explained as he kept pressure on the wound.

"Is it bad?" Sam also flashed back to when Jake had stabbed him, but this pain luckily wasn't as bad.

"I can't tell." Dean ripped a piece of his shirt off then used it to put pressure on Sam's back to try and stop the bleeding.

After a few minutes Sam wanted to stand up and Dean gently helped him to his feet. When he pulled the piece of cloth away he could tell that the bleeding had almost stopped. He then walked over to Walt.

"What the hell were you thinking? You could have killed him!" Dean wanted nothing more than to beat the crap out of Walt, but he knew they had bigger problems.

"You saw him…." Walt looked around at the group. "He came at me first."

"He came at you for a fair fight, not to be stabbed in the back by a coward!" Dean put out his hand. "Now give me that damn knife!"

Walt kept the knife in front of him.

"No." His eyes shifted back and forth between Dean and the others as if daring one of them to go for it.

"Give it to me now or I swear I'll…." Dean took a few steps closer.

"Dean…." Sam warned his brother off, he could tell Walt was still pissed off and he didn't want him to go after his brother. He knew Dean could take Walt in a fight but it wasn't worth taking the chance that Walt would get a lucky hit in.

Sam's warning stopped him in his tracks; he knew Sam was right; starting a fight with Walt wasn't going to help anyone.

"Okay…." Dean held his hands up to show he meant no harm. "You can keep the damn knife; just put it away so no one else gets hurt." When Walt hesitated Dean added. "There's something far more dangerous out there in the woods then any of us…. We need to stop fighting amongst ourselves and concentrate on getting out of here." Dean knew he would deal with Walt later. No one hurt his brother and got away with it, not if he could help it.

"Just tell him to stay away from my wife and kids." Walt said as he slowly lowered the knife.

"You treat her with the respect she deserves and he will."

Jenn looked over at the brothers as she walked over to her husband.

"It's okay…..honestly its fine." She knew her husband was a jerk, but he was the father of her kids and she knew as bad as he treated her she'd never leave him. She looked over at Sam. "I'm sorry he hurt you."

Sam was about to speak but Dean quickly changed the subject.

"Anyone find anything I can clean his wound with?" He looked around at the other campers.

"There's nothing left." Ritter told him. "Whoever or whatever it was cleaned us out good."

Dean lifted up Sam's shirt and frowned. The wound itself had stopped bleeding and didn't look too bad, but the knife looked dirty and could have pushed all kinds of bacteria into Sam's system. There was nothing he could do but keep an eye on it and hope it didn't get infected. Hopefully sooner or later they'd reach a stream where he could at least clean it up a little.

Sam pulled his shirt down.

"I'll be fine, it's nothing."

"You're lucky that bastard didn't puncture a lung or a kidney." Dean knew if that had happened Sam could have died before they found their way home.

Sam glanced over at Jenn and Walt, then shook his head sadly.

"That jerk doesn't know what he has, or how lucky he is." He said softly as he walked away.

Walt had everything Sam had wanted at one time, a wife, kids, and a normal life, something he'd never have.

"Just keep away from him." Dean knew Sam could beat the man easily in a fair fight, but it was obvious the man didn't fight fair.

Cory and Sue walked over to Ritter.

"What are we going to do? We need to get out of here."

Since Ritter was in charge they hoped he had an answer, but instead he looked over at Dean and Sam, he was as lost as the rest of them. Dean knew he had to try and reassure them that everything would be okay, although he himself was beginning to doubt it.

"The first thing we need to do is not panic, the surest way to get yourself killed is to panic. The second thing is to stay together; no one goes off by themselves for any reason. And the third is to somehow find our way out of here." Dean knew unless the sun or the stars came out they would have nothing to navigate by. He knew that getting them all out of there in one piece was looking less and less likely.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the reviews.

The Jersey Devil

Chapter nine

Dean knew walking at night might get them even more lost, but he also knew they had to get out of there; they couldn't hang around waiting for the creature to attack. He looked over at Sam.

"You sure you're okay?"

If his brother was more hurt then he was letting on he would wait till morning and let Sam get some rest.

"Dean I'm fine." Sam knew the sooner they started moving the better.

"Okay." Dean walked to the edge of the campsite and using his flashlight looked for tracks. He soon found tracks that were obviously made when they had rushed back to the campsite, but a few seconds later he found other tracks from when they had first entered the camp. He was lucky, rain water was beginning to pool in the tracks making them visible even in the darkness, but as lucky as they were he knew their luck could run out if the rain got any harder, for then it could easily wash the tracks away.

"The sooner we head back the way we came the more likely we might run into someone." Dean hoped what he said was true.

"How do we know that you know what you're doing? What if you lead us deeper into the Barrens?" Jerry asked.

"I can't promise you that we'll find our way back, but right now following these tracks is the best shot we got."

"I say we wait here, someone will come looking for us." Jerry looked around at the group hoping they'd agree with him.

"I say we do too." Walt spoke up.

"We're not expected back at the office for another four days." Sam explained. "No one will be looking for us till then. Right now we're two days from the office. If we stay here and wait for help we'll have to wait at least four days before they even begin to wonder where we are, and I don't think anyone wants to just sit out here with that thing near by. We need to keep moving."

"Well then let's take a vote." Walt wasn't about to let Sam get the last word in. "Who wants to wait for help instead of stumbling around in the woods?"

Jerry and Rob raised their hands, but when Jenn and her children didn't raise theirs Walt glared at them.

"I should have figured you'd side with them."

"Walt, what they're saying makes sense." Jenn spoke softly not wanting to upset her children. "We're not expected back for four days which means will be stuck out here till then. No one will look for us till then." She looked around at the group. "I'd rather try to find my way back then wait here and do nothing."

Sue and Cory walked over and stood next to Jenn.

"She's right, besides we have no supplies, no food, we need to do something, we can't just wait here."

"Maybe if we can make it back to the first campsite some of our supplies might still be there." Dean said as he looked at the group. "I can't force anyone to come with me. If the majority of you want to stay we'll stay….but I think our chances are better if we keep moving."

"This thing might be territorial and maybe if we leave its territory it won't follow us." Sam hoped that was true. They had never dealt with anything like it before and he had no idea what the creature might do, but sitting around here wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"Maybe, maybe, maybe…that's all you can say, just maybe?" Walt looked back and forth at the brothers.

"That's right, it's all we can say….We don't know anymore then you do." Dean said honestly. "We might make it, we might not, but I'd rather try then stay here and do nothing." Dean looked around at the others. "But I'll leave it up to you guys. Stay or move on?"

Dean didn't like staying in one spot waiting for the creature to attack, he knew they should keep moving, but if they wanted to stay he wasn't about to leave them behind with no protection.

"You better make up your minds soon." Sam told the group. "The rain is getting heavier and the sooner we leave the better." He knew that once their tracks got washed away it would be even harder to back track. He and Dean were both well trained by their father and Bobby in tracking, but out here there were no landmarks to go by, everything looked the same, plus numerous animals had already crossed their tracks, so any bent grass or torn leaves could have been caused by them.

The majority of the group sided with the brothers and soon they were making their way through the thick woods carrying any salvageable materials they could find. Dean had Sam take the lead and he followed at the back of the pack wanting to keep his eyes on Sam in case his wound caused him any trouble and caused him to fall behind.

They never saw the blood red eyes that watched them from a short distance away.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

The Jersey Devil

Chapter ten

**Later**

They had walked for what seemed like miles and Dean could tell that most of the group was worn out having gotten no sleep the night before. It was starting to get light out and he hoped that the creature was nocturnal and wouldn't attack during the day. He knew he had no choice but to let everyone rest.

"Let's set up camp. We'll rest here for a few hours." He told the others after they came to a clearing in the woods. The group put down the few belongings they had managed to salvage from the destroyed campsite, then most of them sat on pieces of what used to be their tents totally exhausted. Dean walked over to his brother.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'll be okay."

Dean could tell Sam was far from okay.

"You don't look so good." He could see that Sam's face was pale and that something was obviously wrong. "Let me check you out." Before Sam could resist Dean pulled his shirt up and could see that the skin around his wound was bright red and swollen. "Looks like your wound is starting to get infected." It was exactly what he had been worried about. The knife had been dirty and there had been nothing to clean the deep wound with. Dean glared over at Walt. "I should rip that son of a bitch a new one." He said under his breath to Sam.

"That isn't going to solve anything."

"Maybe not but it would sure make me feel a whole lot better."

"Maybe so but we got more important problems to deal with, like getting everyone out of here alive." Sam nodded toward the trail. "If it keeps raining like this that trail will be washed away in a few hours."

Dean knew that was true, the rain was heavy and the barely visible footprints were slowly being washed away, but he knew the group was too tired to continue, and he knew pushing them was only going to cause resentment.

"I've got to let them rest for a few hours, they're beat….and by the looks of it you are too." Dean looked at Sam, the worry clear on his face. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?"

"What good would it have done? There's nothing you could do for me out here anyway."

"Well if it gets worse I might have to lance it to drain out some of the infection."

"Do what you have to do but I really think we need to keep moving."

They both looked over at the others who were already lying on the ground, some of them already asleep. Dean looked back at Sam.

"You need to get some rest yourself, you look beat."

"What about you? You look like you could use some rest yourself."

"I'm not the one who got stabbed in the back…..besides, someone needs to keep watch."

"Dean there are six other men here including myself, we can all take turns."

Sam knew he and his brother would normally be the ones keeping watch, but he was starting to feel lousy and he knew Dean couldn't do it by himself; he was just as worn out as everyone else was.

Dean looked over at the others, all of them were sprawled out on the ground, most of them asleep.

"They're not going to be much help."

"Well then I'll take the first watch, I'll wake you in a few hours." Sam figured that even as bad as he felt he knew he was probably going to be feeling a lot worse later. At least right now he'd be able to stay awake for a few hours and let Dean get some much needed rest, after that his brother would more than likely be on his own.

Dean knew it was senseless to argue. Sam was right, they all needed to get some rest including himself, being exhausted wasn't going to help anyone. There was nothing he could do for Sam now except hopefully get him out of there before he got too sick to walk. He'd get a few hours rest then let Sam get a few hours, by then the others should be rested and ready to move out.

**Later **

After a few hours Sam woke Dean up, and then he himself got some much needed rest. Sam could already feel his body starting to heat up and knew he was running a fever. He knew he had to hide it from Dean. If his brother found out he was sick he'd slow the pace down so he wouldn't wear him out, or worse make camp and delay their exit from the Barrens till he felt Sam was well enough to travel. He found a spot of ground away from the others and lay down, he was drained and fell into a restless sleep almost immediately.

A few hours later Dean woke everyone up and got them moving, he wanted to put as much ground between them and the creature before it got dark. Sam quickly wiped the sweat from his face and tried not to get too close to his brother so he wouldn't notice his appearance. He took his spot at the front of the pack and once more led the group toward what he hoped was the trail out of the Barrens.

The creature sat high in the pine trees watching the group as they once more headed out of their make-shift campsite. He could feel his hunger growing as he licked the blood off of his wings. With his keen sense of smell and excellent eyesight he had already picked out the weakest in the group. It was the one walking in front of the pack….but he wasn't choosy, any of them would satisfy his hunger.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

The Jersey Devil

Chapter eleven

**Later in the day**

They walked till dusk then made camp the best they could with their meager supplies. They all dreaded the coming night and most of them huddled around the campfire unaware that they were being watched. All they could hope for was that the rain would stop and that their tracks wouldn't be completely washed away, maybe then they could find their way home.

The creature sat high in the trees keeping its eyes on the weakest one waiting till the others left him alone. It had eaten many forms of animal life and it came to realize that sooner or later the sick ones were left behind while the rest of the pack moved on, but it was growing hungry and if it had to it would eat whatever it could swoop in and carry away.

**The campsite**

"You don't look so good." Jason the youngest brother said shyly as he walked over to Sam. "I'm sorry my daddy hurt you." He added. Even though he was young, the boy knew Sam had done nothing to deserve being stabbed.

"I'll be okay." Sam smiled trying to hide his pain from the boy.

"My mom said that you're a really nice man…..I think you are too."

"Thanks."

The boy smiled again then started to walk away just as Dean came over.

"Nice kid." Dean said as he watched Jason leave.

"Yeah, real nice kid." Sam said sadly, he knew Jason deserved a better father then Walt.

"How're you doing?" Dean asked, a worried look on his face. "You look like you're getting worse." He added when he noticed how much paler Sam's skin had become.

"I'll be…." Sam saw it first, a large winged creature flying directly toward them. "Dean look out!"

The creature flew into Dean sending him flying head first into a tree. The sudden attack knocked the wind out of him and he lay on the ground semi conscious. The creature then turned its attention to Sam. He could sense Sam was injured and wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. Sam reached beneath his jacket for his gun. When the others in the group began to panic and scream the creature's attention was drawn to them, but Sam shouted at it deliberately drawing its attention back to him. He knew he was no match for the thing, but at least the others were safe for the moment.

"Come on you son of a bitch!" Sweat poured from Sam's feverish face as he tried to keep the creature's attention entirely focused on him. He raised his gun but the fever had caused his eyes to go in and out of focus, and he knew he couldn't fire without taking the chance he'd miss and hit someone else. He glanced over at Dean willing him to wake up, maybe between the two of them they could take it down, but Dean still lay on his back, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to catch his lost breath. Sam watched in disbelief as the creature grew closer and closer. So this is how it was all going to end he thought. At least maybe when it was on top of him and he couldn't miss he could get a clean shot off… but who knew if a bullet could kill the thing. Just as the creature was about to strike, Jason ran over.

"Leave him alone!" The boy shouted as he threw a rock which landed square on the creature's back. It spun around and let out a horrible scream, its red eyes glowing like two red hot embers. Dean was just starting to come around and he and the rest of the group watched in horror as the creature, in one swift movement, grabbed the boy and flew off into the woods before anyone could attempt to stop it.

"Noooooooo!" Sam raised his gun as did Dean but it was too late, the creature was too fast and too strong. Before anyone could react it vanished into the woods and only the sound of Jason screaming was the proof that it had even entered the camp at all.

"Jason! Oh my God! Jason!" Jenn ran toward the woods but was quickly stopped by Dean who scrambled to his feet.

"He's gone….I'm so sorry….but he's gone."

Jenn turned her face into Dean's shoulder and began sobbing.

"It's your fault you son of a bitch!" Walt screamed as he walked toward Sam. "It's your fault my son's dead! That thing wanted you, not him!"

Sam didn't even try to defend himself. He stood staring into the woods his eyes filled with tears. If only he had been quicker he could have tried to defend the boy, and now like Walt said, it was his fault.

Walt slammed his fist into Sam's face knocking him to the ground and once Sam was down Walt gave him a swift kick to his stomach. Sam curled into a ball but offered no resistance.

Dean gently pushed Jenn to the side then ran over and grabbed Walt and tossed him away from his brother.

"You touch him again and I'll kill you!" This time Dean meant every word. If Walt even made a move toward his brother he was going down.

"My son's dead because of him!"

"Not because of him but because you were foolish enough to bring your family out here! My brother warned you that it wasn't a good idea." Dean looked over at Jenn. "There's still a chance your boy might be alive." Dean hoped that was true. He didn't know anything about the creature and could only hope it hadn't already killed the boy. He leaned down and checked on Sam's condition. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

Dean could tell that Sam was lying. He would survive the beating, he had taken a lot worse, but it was the fever that worried him. He was torn about what to do, go after the boy, or stay with his sick brother. Sam made his mind up for him.

"You got to go find him Dean, he's just a kid." Sam knew Dean was worried about him and added. "I'll be okay, just find Jason and bring him back alive."

Dean swallowed hard trying not to show his emotions, he hated appearing weak in front of Sam but right now he was. He hated leaving his brother but he couldn't let a kid be killed when maybe he could still save him. Sam was sick, but the kid could be dying…..

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Dean helped Sam over to a tree so he could lean against it. He then looked over at the others. "Take care of him till I get back." He then looked over at Walt. "And you stay away from him or I promise you'll never make it out of here alive." It wasn't a threat but a promise Dean swore he would keep. With one last glance at his brother Dean ran in the direction that the creature had flown.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the reviews

The Jersey Devil

Chapter twelve

It was a dark and moonless night but Dean kept running, mentally keeping track of the way back to his brother. He knew it was probably hopeless, the creature could have already killed the boy but he had to at least try to help him. All he could do was hope and pray that the others would keep Walt away from his brother. If anything happened to Sam because he wasn't around to watch out for him he'd never forgive himself. Dean stopped running every few seconds to listen for any signs of the creature, wings flapping, cries from it, or any scream from Jason. He had headed in the direction the creature had flown and could only hope it hadn't flown too far. He figured the creature would probably stay close to a food source…which was them.

"Jason! Jason can you hear me?" Dean shouted up into the trees and was only met by silence. He swallowed hard but knew he couldn't give into his emotions; he had to find Jason, dead or alive. He had to bring him back to his mother.

**Campsite**

Sam sat with his back against the tree his gun in his hand. What he wanted to do was try to comfort Jenn and her remaining son but he knew if he did that it would only anger Walt, and no one in camp needed him to fly off the handle again. Sam couldn't believe the man didn't even try to comfort his wife or son but instead circled the camp like a caged animal. When Jenn and Billy walked toward him he could finally express his sorrow to them.

"I'm so sorry….so very sorry. … My brother will do everything he can to bring Jason back."

"What am I going to do without him Sam? He's my little boy…" Tears ran down her face as she clung to her older son.

"It's my fault Mommy….I told him it was going to get him and it did." Billy said as he too began to cry.

"You didn't mean it Billy." Sam told him. "I used to kid my brother all the time too, and he kidded me right back, it doesn't mean anything, Jason knew that." If Jason was dead Sam didn't want Billy to spend the rest of his life blaming himself.

When Jenn saw Walt glaring over at her she gave Billy a big hug then told him she loved him and sent him over to his father. She hoped her little gesture would help ease her husband's anger. She looked down at Sam.

"If he doesn't come home, I don't want to either."

"You still have a son, you got to live for him."

"I don't know if I can. I don't think I'm strong enough. My little boy is out there alone and scared….maybe even dead."

"My brother will find him."

"But will he find him alive?"

**The woods**

Finally Dean heard something big land in the branches of a tall tree a short distance in front of him. He quickly headed in that direction and arrived at the bottom of the tree he thought the noise had come from. He tried to look up toward the top of the tree but it was impossible to see anything with the thickness of the branches and the darkness of the night, but when he heard something moving high above him he started climbing. He was halfway up the tree when he felt something warm and sticky hit his face and arms. He wiped his face off the best he could and tried to see what it was but it was too dark to see much of anything. He could however smell a slight metallic smell and immediately recognized what it was, blood, Jason's blood.

"You son of a bitch!" He mumbled quietly to himself as he continued climbing. If the boy was already dead he wanted to at least retrieve the body for the boy's parents, it would be far harder for them to go home with out him.

Finally he could make out a shape that was even darker then the darkness around him. He raised his gun but didn't fire; he couldn't take the chance of hitting the boy. He continued climbing slowly and as quietly as he could toward the creature hoping he'd get a better view. He knew if it decided to fly away with the boy he'd lose it before he would be able to climb back down. Finally he was within 20 feet of the creature and could clearly make out its shape; he also could make out the bloody, unmoving form of Jason lying across a branch next to it.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

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The Jersey Devil

Chapter thirteen

**The campsite**

Walt paced the campsite growing angrier and angrier. His son was gone, and more than likely dead, and it was all because of Sam, and worse yet, his wife instead of being with him was hanging out with the man who had gotten her son killed. Suddenly he had had enough and he walked over to Sam.

"It's all your fault! That thing wanted you, not my boy!"

"I'm sorry… I really am." Sam said honestly, he too felt it should have been him, not an innocent kid.

"Well sorry ain't going to cut it buddy! My boy's dead and you're still here!"

"Sam had nothing to do with Jason being taken." Jenn spoke up. "If our boy is dead it's because you insisted on taking us on this God forsaken trip." She began sobbing as she held Billy close to her. "It's your fault not his."

"Don't you blame me bitch!" Walt slapped Jenn hard across her face.

The rest of the camp gasped in shock but no one wanted to confront Walt, no one except the one person who was too sick to do anything about it.

"You son of a bitch!" Sam tried to come to Jenn's aid but as soon as he stood up the world began to spin and he had to put his hand against the tree to steady himself.

"What's the matter tough boy? Aren't you man enough to take me on?" Walt knocked Sam's hand away from the tree and he went down hard. "Not so tough now are you?"

Sam struggled to stand back up but it was impossible, his head was pounding and everything was going in and out of focus. Walt grabbed Sam by his hair and pulled his head back. He then delivered a vicious blow to his face. When Jerry, Rob, and Cory started to walk over to help Sam Walt pulled out his knife and stood in front of him. None of the men wanted to be on the receiving end of Walt's anger and they reluctantly backed off.

"Walt please!" Jenn tried to get her husband to calm down; she knew Sam had done nothing wrong.

"Walt please! Walt please!" Walt mimicked her as he held the knife to Sam's throat. "Your boyfriend isn't looking too good right now is he?" He asked his wife then looked back at Sam. "Not looking so pretty now are you?"

"Daddy please don't hurt him!" Billy begged.

Walt spun around and looked at his son.

"So she's turned you against me too!" Walt looked at the rest of the group. "Well I don't know about you guys but I'm getting out of here."

"You're just going to leave your boy, and that man's brother out there to die?" Rob asked in disbelief.

"They're probably already dead and I'm not about to sit around here and be that thing's next meal."

"But what if they aren't dead? We can't just leave them. What if your boy is still alive?" Sue asked. She too couldn't believe this man was going to leave his son out there without even knowing what condition he was in.

"You saw that thing! Neither one of them is walking out of that woods alive!...Now who's going with me?"

"We should stay here, we shouldn't go wondering off into the woods. Maybe we should…." Cory started to say but was interrupted by Walt.

"If we stay here that thing is going to come back and pick us off one by one. I'll take my chance in the woods."

"Well I'm not leaving." Jenn spoke up. "Not without Jason." She told him as she clung to Billy.

"Our boy is dead! If we stay here we will be too!" Walt looked around at the others. "You can either come with me, or stay here and die."

Walt started to walk away and some of the others, not knowing what else to do, started to follow him.

"What about Sam?" Jenn walked over and knelt beside him. "He's hurt, we can't just leave him."

"And why not? …Because you have feelings for him?" Walt said glaring at her. "Well I'm not going to die and if the rest of you want to live you'll come with me." Walt told the others then looked back at Jenn. "I'm leaving here with or without you and I'm taking Billy with me."

Some of the group stayed with Walt while the others still hesitated not knowing what to do.

"He's right." Sam spoke up as he struggled to sit up. "You need to stay together, you shouldn't split up." Sam wasn't even sure if staying together was going to help anyone, but splitting up into two groups was definitely not the thing to do. "Here." Sam held up his gun. "You'll need this." Walt walked over but Sam refused to turn the gun over to him, instead he handed it to Cory. He knew the gun might not stop the creature but it had to be better then Walt's knife.

"What about you?" Jenn asked.

"I'll wait for my brother…..and your boy."

"But what if they don't come back?" Jenn's eyes filled with tears at the thought that she might never see her boy again.

"They will." Sam knew Dean would do whatever it took to make it back to him, and he hoped he'd have Jason with him…and still alive.

"I don't want to leave without my son." Jenn told him.

"My brother will find him, trust me, you'll get your boy back." Sam hoped that was true.

Jenn still had one son that she knew was alive and if going with Walt and the others would protect him she knew she'd have to go, she couldn't lose another child.

"Good luck Sam." She blinked back tears as she looked at him. "I'm so sorry." She knew by leaving him alone they might as well be signing his death certificate. She had grown close to him in the last few days and it broke her heart to leave him, but she had to try and get Billy back to civilization. She took her son's arm and led him away.

Billy looked back over his shoulder.

"Please find my brother." He told Sam tearfully.

"We'll try Billy…..we'll try."

Sam watched as the group walked off into the woods leaving him alone and defenseless.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks for the reviews

The Jersey Devil

Chapter fourteen

Dean stayed perfectly still, not wanting to scare the creature off. He kept his eyes on Jason trying to see if he was still alive. He willed the boy to breathe.

"Come on Jason breathe….Come on kid take a breath, just let me know you're still here." Dean whispered softly to himself.

Finally he saw Jason move his arm and heard a little whimper of both fear and pain escape his lips. Seeing his prey move the creature tightened his grip on the boy and Jason let out a painful scream. The creature had already fed today and wasn't hungry but he knew when his hunger grew the boy would provide his next meal.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief, Jason was alive, but he still couldn't tell how badly hurt he was. It looked like the boy was covered in blood, but the creature was also saturated with blood and Dean hoped the blood could be from a recent kill and not the boy's blood. He could only hope that Jason wasn't as badly injured as he appeared to be. He slowly raised his gun. If the gun couldn't kill the creature maybe he could at least injure it enough so that it would release its hold on the boy, but if it did Jason would fall and the fall would more than likely kill him. Dean tried to maneuver himself under the creature, that way if it released Jason he might be able to catch him before he fell to his death.

As quietly as he could he inched himself closer and closer till he was finally a few yards beneath the creature. Now if he could just shoot the thing without hitting the boy. He slowly raised his gun but the slight movement caught the creature's eyes and it shifted itself putting Jason in the line of fire. Dean was an excellent shot but if the thing moved even an inch when he fired he knew he'd hit the boy.

"Damn it!" Dean whispered to himself.

The creature looked down at the man beneath him. It knew that most animals ran from him but this animal was actually coming after him. It put its head back and screamed in anger; the animal that was tracking it must die. Leaving Jason perched on the branch it suddenly dropped down a few branches and at the same time reached out a claw and swiped at the creature that was following it. Dean cried out in pain as a deep slash appeared on his upper arm.

**Back at the campsite**

The cry of pain was not lost on Sam.

"Dean?" He looked in the direction his brother had gone. "Dean!" He shouted as he struggled to his feet. He knew he wouldn't be of much help to his brother but if the creature had hurt his brother, or worse yet killed him, he had to be there for him. Maybe he could distract the thing and Dean would have time to get away, but if there was nothing he could do, he could at least die alongside his brother. He found a thick branch to use as a crutch and headed toward the cry.

Sam swore softly to himself, it seemed to take forever to reach his brother, and the silence in the woods only made the time it was taking seem even longer. Was his brother unconscious, or maybe even dead? He could easily track Dean from the bent down grass and knew he'd eventually find him but Sam had no idea how far into the woods his brother had gone and from the sound of the cry Dean needed him now.

Eventually the trail ended and Sam knew the only direction Dean could go was up. He looked up into the tall trees and eventually spotted his brother….and the creature above him.

"Dean!" Sam called to him.

Dean looked down to see his brother moving closer to the tree then attempting to climb it.

"Sammy stay back!" He knew Sam wasn't feeling well and knew he'd never make it up the tree in his condition.

Sammy could see Jason's body lying above the creature who now glared down at him.

"Is he…..? Sam didn't want to say what he was thinking.

"No, I saw him move." Dean reassured his brother.

"Oh thank God." Sam breathed a sigh of relief. "Can you get a good shot?"

Dean looked up and saw that the Devil was now away from the boy and knew he had to take the shot. He raised his gun slowly hoping not to spook the creature, but it recognized the thing in the man's hand and knew it had caused him pain in the past. With one glance back at Jason, its potential food for the night, it decided to leave the boy behind and take off…..after all there was more food out there that would be easier pickings and wouldn't cause him any pain. It gave a scream of anger then leapt from the branch and flew off into the darkness. Dean managed to get off a shot and thought he saw the thing flinch with pain but he couldn't be sure. Once it was gone Dean made his way up to Jason and quickly looked over the boy's body inspecting it for wounds. He saw some cuts and bruises on the boy but he quickly determined that most of the blood had come from another source, probably another one of the creature's victims. He gently cradled the boy in his good arm and carefully made his way down the tree to Sam. Once at the bottom of the tree he took more time and thoroughly checked out Jason. The boy appeared to be in good shape and Dean could only assume he had fainted from fright and not from his injuries.

"I think he's going to be fine." He told a worried Sam. "By the way you look like hell." Dean gave his brother a small smile thankful that they were still both alive.

"Back at cha." Sam said as he started to examine his brother's arm. "It's pretty deep."

"I'll be fine….. The others okay?"

Sam shook his head. "They took off. I couldn't stop them. I figured they'd be better together then splitting up. "

"They just left you there?" Dean's anger was starting to surface.

"They were scared Dean."

"And I bet Walt was the cause of it."

"I don't like the guy anymore then you do Dean, but he's scared. People act different when they're scared."

"Walt was a jerk before any of this happened."

"So how do we kill this thing?" Sam changed the subject.

"I don't know, but we got to get Jason back to his mom, I'm sure she's flipping out." Dean looked at Sam. "Can you make it?" His concern for his brother clear in his voice.

"Yeah, I can make it." Sam knew he had no choice. As lousy as he felt he knew they couldn't wait till he was feeling better, they had to get back to the group.

Just then Jason stirred.

"Mom?" He asked as he slowly opened his eyes.

"She's not here right now Jason but we're going to take you back to her." Dean reassured him.

Jason's eyes flew open as he remembered what had happened. He quickly jumped to his feet.

"Easy Jason." Sam put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're okay….It's gone."

"That thing grabbed me! It was going to kill me!"

"But you're safe now."

"What if it comes back for me? What if it tries to kill me?"

"We're not going to let that happen."

It was then they heard terrified screams coming from off in the distance. The Devil had caught up with the rest of the group.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the reviews

The Jersey Devil

Chapter fifteen

The group looked up as one as the Devil flew over them. Jenn quickly grabbed Billy and pulled him near to her. There was no way the creature was going to take her other son.

"Mommy does this mean Jason and Dean are dead?" Billy looked up at her with tear filled eyes. He knew now that the creature was back it probably meant Dean had failed in his mission to save his brother.

"I don't know Billy. … I just don't know." Jenn pulled Billy to the ground and threw herself on top of him offering what little protection she could give him. "It's going to be alright…..It's going to be alright." She kept repeating hoping to reassure her frightened son, and herself.

"What do we do now?" Rob asked hoping one of them would have some kind of idea how to avoid becoming the creature's next meal.

"We give it a meal!" Walt shouted as he ran over to Rob and stabbed him in the stomach then slashed downward with the knife leaving a gaping wound.

Rob cried out in pain then fell to the ground his hands placed over his wound trying to hold his intestines in. His buddy Jerry ran to his side and knelt down beside him, trying to give his friend what little comfort he could.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ritter asked his eyes wide in disbelief as he and the others watched in horror.

"While that thing is feasting on him we can get the hell out of here!" Walt answered as he wiped the bloody knife on his pants. He then looked down at Jenn. "Are you coming with me or what?"

She looked up at him her eyes wide with fear and shock.

"My God Walt what did you do!" She couldn't believe her husband had just knifed another man. But this time she knew the man would die because there was no help around, and even if there was his change of surviving was zero.

"Well I'm getting out of here! You can all die for all I care!" Walt knew the creature more than likely would try to pick off the weakest, and that now would be Rob. He felt a slight twinge of guilt leaving his son but not enough to make him stay. He was going to live and if they all died so be it. He turned and ran into the woods.

The Devil looked down at the group of campers and threw its head back as it sniffed the air. Blood. It knew from experience it could mean only one thing. There was a wounded animal down there and its next meal would be easy. It swooped down toward the group but then backed off and landed in a tree. There were too many of them and it remembered the pain it had felt when it had been shot just a short time ago. It then noticed movement in the brush and could clearly see a lone figure heading away from the rest of the group. It sniffed the air and could detect a faint smell of blood on the man. It raised its head and gave a blood curdling scream. It would feast well tonight and since the object of his appetite was alone it wouldn't have to fight off the others.

**A short distance away**

Both Sam and Dean hurried toward the sounds of the screams, Dean holding Jason as they ran. Each of them hoped that they would find the group intact and that no one else had become the Devil's victim. Jason looked up into Dean's face.

"My Mommy is going to be okay isn't she?"

Dean didn't want to lie to the boy; he knew right now his mother could be being ripped to shreds by the creature.

"We're hoping so Jason." Dean looked over at his brother. "You okay Sam?"

He could tell the running was taking a toll on Sam.

"Yeah." Sam felt lousy but he knew he had to try and help his brother, and the others.

A few minutes later they joined up with the group. Seeing that the creature was nowhere in sight Dean put Jason down and he ran to his mother who swept him up in her arms as she mouthed the words thank you to the two brothers. They then noticed Rob who lay on the ground gasping for air. They walked over to him and immediately realized there was nothing they could do for him, he was too far gone. When Rob took his last breath Jerry stood up and looked at the brothers.

"That son of a bitch just gutted him like he was an animal!" Jerry said his voice breaking with emotion.

"We're sorry." Sam knew the two men had been close friends.

"Where is he?" Dean asked his hand tightening on his gun. Right now all he wanted to do was find the man who had hurt his brother and killed Rob.

"He took off." Jerry nodded in the direction that Walt had gone.

"He left his wife and son here?" Sam couldn't believe that Walt would actually leave Jenn and Billy behind to fend for themselves.

"Yeah." Jerry looked at Dean. "You should have shot the son of a bitch when you had the chance."

"I might just do that." Dean looked at his brother. "You stay here, with them."

"Dean I'm not going to let you….." Sam started to protest.

"I need someone to stay with them Sam. I can see you're not feeling well and you'll just hold me back." Dean knew he'd stand a better change going after Walt if he didn't have to worry about his brother being with him.

Sam didn't like Dean going off alone but he knew he was right, the way he was feeling he'd just get in the way.

"Hurry back." Was all he could say. Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, he then turned and walked in the direction Jerry indicated that Walt had gone.

With one last glance down at the group of campers which had now been joined by the man who had injured it and stolen its meal, the creature silently jumped off the branch and flew off in the direction of the lone man. It waited till the man ran into a clearing then swooped down toward its prey.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

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The Jersey Devil

Chapter sixteen

Dean didn't know what he was going to do when he found Walt but if the man made a violent move toward him he didn't have any problem with ending his life. The man was obviously violent and had already killed one of the campers and had hurt his brother. Dean normally avoided killing a human but he would if it meant protecting the rest of the group. A piercing scream turned his fast walk into a run.

Up ahead in a small clearing Dean watched as the creature grabbed Walt by his shirt and lifted him high in the air. Even though the man's death wouldn't be a lose to Dean he still felt obligated to try and stop it. He aimed his gun at the creature and fired. Hearing the gunshot, Walt looked down at Dean and Dean could see the terror in his eyes. The creature feeling the shot rose even higher.

"Help! Help me you son of a bitch!" He screamed down at Dean.

Dean knew if the creature dropped Walt from that high up he would probably either die on impact or be seriously injured. As much as he hated the man, he still didn't want to be the cause of his death.

He lowered his gun, he could only hope that the thing would land, or at least perch in a tree somewhere. Maybe then he could save him. Dean watched as Walt began slicing at the creature with his knife with little or no affect. Instead of injuring the thing it only seemed to make it angry. The Devil lowered its mouth to Walt's arm and with one bite severed it from his body. The arm still clutching the knife fell to the ground. Blood poured from the open wound and Dean could tell it wouldn't be long before Walt bled out. The screams of fear and pain grew louder as Walt himself knew he was doomed. Dean hesitated a few seconds then raised his gun. The least he could do was put Walt out of his misery. He aimed for his head and after hesitating for a few seconds pulled the trigger. The creature hearing the shot and feeling his prey stop moving glared down at Dean. This was the same man who had wounded it earlier and now had stopped him once again from making a kill. It dropped the lifeless body and began to swoop down toward Dean. Instead of attacking its foe it flew over him and headed back toward the other campers, it knew there was an injured man there plus others that could serve as its meal and would be easier pickings than this man.

Dean watched as The Devil flew over him and headed back to the group of campers, a group that included his brother.

"Sam." Dean whispered quietly to himself. He could feel and hear his heart pounding in his chest. "Sammy it's coming your way!" He shouted hoping to warn his brother. He started to run back to the others but stopped and picked up Walt's knife before continuing.

Sam heard Dean's shout and immediately told the others to get down and stay close to the ground. He quickly positioned himself protectively in front of Jenn and her two boys making himself the target. He would die before he'd let the creature hurt anyone else. He kept his gun pointed in the direction of Dean's shout. He could feel himself start to sway a little from his sickness and fought to stay upright. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched the creature come into view. He knew this was probably the end.

Dean watched in horror as the creature dived down and made a beeline for his brother. With a quick burst of energy he caught up to the Devil and not knowing how else to stop it jumped on its back. The creature threw its head back and screamed in anger. It began flying erratically, bouncing from tree to tree as it tried desperately to shake the man from its back. Dean held on tight and began plunging the knife as deep as he could into the Devil's body. He knew that the knife wasn't that long and could only hope that he'd sever an artery. Sam watched from below his eyes wide as he watched the spectacle in front of him. He aimed his gun at the creature but couldn't take the chance that he might hit his brother.

"Hang on Dean!" He shouted when the creature flew high in to the air. Sam knew if Dean fell off of it he wouldn't stand a chance, not at that height.

When the Devil once more flew near the ground in an attempt to knock Dean off by flying through the thick branches Dean did the only thing he could think of, he began slicing through its thick neck. He had no idea what could kill the beast but he knew without its head it would surely die. Blood rained down on the ground below as the creature began choking on its own blood. Dean pulled its head back as far as he could and finished the job. The head of the creature fell off and dropped to the ground, but even without its head the creature managed to fly a short distance before crumbling to the ground with Dean still clinging to its back.

"Dean!" Sam ran as fast as he could to his brother. When he got to him he could see that Dean was covered in blood and not moving. He knelt down beside him fearing the worse. "Dean." He said softly as he gently turned his brother over. Tears filled his eyes as he shook his brother by his shoulder. "Wake up…..come on Dean wake up…"

Dean's green eyes suddenly popped open and he looked into the relieved face of Sam.

"Is it over?" He asked, not even realizing he was lying next to the remains of the Devil.

"Yeah it's over." Sam gave his brother a small smile. "Walt?" He asked wondering what had happened to Jenn's husband.

Dean shook his head as he looked over at Jenn and her boys.

Sam wasn't sad that Walt was gone; he had already killed an innocent man, but Walt was Jenn's husband and the boys' father and he felt sad for their loss.

With the Devil dead the rest of the campers came over to the brothers and thanked them for saving their lives. Jenn didn't even have to be told that Walt was dead, one look at Dean and she knew. She didn't want to know the grizzly details, she would tell the boys he had simply died of a heart attack. They'd be upset at first, but they were young and would eventually get over it. She herself felt a sense of freedom. She had put up with his cruel remarks and abuse for too long and it was almost a relief that that part of her life was finally over.

The other campers walked over and looked down at the body of the beast that they had heard so many legends about. It really did exist and now they finally had the proof. But even as that thought crossed their minds the body of the creature began to disintegrate and turn to dust, then blew away with a gentle breeze. They looked at each other in disbelief knowing that no one would believe them now, now that the proof was gone.

"What do we do now?" Corey asked as he looked down at the spot where the creature had been.

"The first thing we need to do is get all of you back to civilization." Dean knew his first priority was to get the others back safe.

"What about Rob and….." Jerry stopped, he didn't want to mention Walt's name in front of his kids.

"Once we get back we'll send someone out for them."

"But how are we going to explain what happened to them?" Jerry looked down at the empty spot where the creature had died. "There is no proof that thing even existed."

Both Sam and Dean knew that was true. Who would believe that there really was a Jersey Devil and that it had attacked and killed some of them….probably no one.

"We'll have to make up a story and stick with it." Dean told them.

"Maybe we can say we ran into some lunatics out here in the Barrens and they attacked and killed some of us. We can say we barely made it back alive." Corey suggested.

It was as good a story as any the brothers thought.

"We'll talk about it on the way back." Dean told them. "Right now we need to get out of here." He looked over at Sam. "You okay? Can you make it?"

"Yeah I'll make it." Sam was actually beginning to feel a little bit better; maybe the infection had finally burned out of his system.

Once they rediscovered the barely visible tracks they started heading back. As they walked they all agreed to stick with Corey's story. With the creature's body now gone there really wasn't anything else they could do.

Dean and Sam both knew that once they got the others back they couldn't hang around once the cops were notified. They'd have to leave as soon as they got back. They didn't like the idea of leaving the others deal with the aftermath but they had no choice, they couldn't afford to get tied up in a police investigation.

**Later**

They walked for a long time, stopping to rest every few hours, but finally they saw a clearing up ahead and could see in the distance the old visitor's trailer. The entire group gave a sigh of relief, they were finally back.

Dean looked over at Sam and nodded toward the Impala. They needed to leave as soon as possible before they got mixed up with the police.

"Just a minute." Sam looked over at Jenn and her two boys.

"Okay but hurry up." Dean headed toward the car.

Sam nodded then walked over to Jenn.

"I'm sorry about your husband." He said softly to her once her children had run toward the trailer.

"It's okay. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I always thought he'd get it in a bar fight but….." She looked up at him and gave him a small sad smile. "The kids and I have a new start in life and we'll be fine." She looked into his eyes hoping that maybe he'd stick around and they could get to know each other a little better. "You feel better?"

Sam was attracted to her too but knew there was no future between them.

"Yeah….I'll be fine. … My brother and I need to get going." He explained and swallowed hard when he saw the disappointment in her eyes. "We can't stick around."

"Oh." She figured it had something to do with the cops being called but didn't say anything.

"I just want you to know that you're a beautiful woman and no one has the right to treat you the way he did. I'm sorry your husband died, but you're strong and I'm sure you'll be fine. Once this is behind you , you need to find someone who'll treat you and your sons the way they should be treated."

"I appreciate your concern Sam." She smiled up at him and put her hand on the side of his face. "You take care Sam, and thank you. Thank your brother for me also."

"I will."

He gave a small sad smile as he watched her walk over to the trailer to her children. He then turned and walked back to Dean.

"You okay?" Dean asked when he saw the look on Sam's face.

"Yeah ." Sam said as he got in the car. Dean looked over at the trailer then he too got in the car. He put the car in drive then drove off. He'd have Sam checked out at one of the doctors they knew in the area that catered toward hunters, then they'd move on to their next hunt.

**The Barrens**

As they headed out they never saw the large creature who watched them from inside the thick woods. It was a legend, it could not die. It had risen from the ashes and reclaimed its territory. It would wait….it knew there would be others.

The End


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